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Lumine had only met Teucer for a day and yet she was already willing to die for him.
He was an excitable little boy, going on about how incredible Mr. Cyclops (read: the Ruin Guard) was, and how he was so proud of his brother who was apparently a famous toy seller, researching toys in Liyue.
She thought nothing of it, at first. It was just another unsupervised boy, wandering around places he shouldn’t. Given how long she spent in the City of Freedom, this wasn’t surprising. There was definitely nothing suspicious going on there.
In hindsight, she really should have picked up on some flags. It took something special for someone to think that Ruin Guards were just huge action figures one plays with. Maybe he led a sheltered life, or the toys he played with were of that level. Either way, Teucer’s lifestyle was quite unconventional. She should have figured something out.
But who could blame her? With sparkling blue eyes, cute wavy hair, and a smile that could rival the Sun’s, Teucer was the incarnation of an angel. He could ask her to join the Fatui and she would do so in a heartbeat.
Luckily enough for everyone, he had no connections to the Fatui whatsoever. He was just another young boy from Snezhnaya who came to Liyue just because he missed his brother.
Archons, she could really relate to the sweet little thing.
Deciding that she should not delay the anticipated sibling reunion, she immediately took him to Northland Bank, foregoing her quest of searching for Geoculuses to offer to Zhongli’s statues. After the stunt he pulled, his statues could wait. A sibling reunion could not.
Feeling as excited as her younger companion, she hurriedly entered the bank as if half the occupants there did not want her dead. Again, she would die for Teucer so if they did end up killing her just for stepping into enemy territory, she wouldn’t really mind. As long as Teucer got to reunite with his brother.
Speaking of death and murderers.
“You!” She exclaimed, pointing at the last Harbinger she wanted to see at the moment, and that was including La Signora.
“Brother!” Teucer cried out at the same time.
Now wait just one second.
Brother?
“I know that voice… Teucer?” Replied the man who was probably inconspicuously plotting nefarious schemes with his comrade just a few seconds earlier.
Lumine felt like she was on the verge of an epiphany, but with the sudden turn of events, her brain cells had failed to pull through. She needed some time to process the fact that the angel she had met, had called her… enemy … his brother.
Teucer had called Childe, also known as Tartaglia , his brother. Teucer and Tartaglia were related. They were brothers.
Oh.
“ You’re his big brother? The famous toy seller researching toys in Liyue?” She asked, borderline hysterical.
Childe, looking somewhat embarrassed, managed a smile.
“Yeah,” he answered lamely, missing all the charm and suave he had been throwing her way since the first day they met.
It was kind of refreshing if Lumine was being honest but now was not the time to contemplate that.
Apparently, Childe didn’t have the heart to tell his baby brother that he was a Harbinger. He didn’t want his family to be acquainted with his darker side. The older siblings knew, of course, but he couldn’t do that to his youngest sibling. Not when he was still too little to understand the hows and the whys. That was why Childe came up with the ludicrous story of him being a toy seller of all things. It was to protect Teucer’s innocence.
It was… kind of nice of him. Surprisingly. Lumine didn’t know what to make of that. Especially after their latest encounter that she had desperately tried not to think about.
Deciding to continue her streak of not thinking, she focused on more pressing matters such as clearing up certain misunderstandings and almost getting into another fight with the Harbinger right then and there (maybe she liked battling him as much as he did her, but what would that make of her? Of them?). Thankfully, they were interrupted by Paimon and Ekaterina who honest to Rex Lapis (or maybe the Tsaritsa would be more accurate, considering the Fatui had no qualms with disrespecting other Archons) just wanted to get her job done.
A job which required Childe to go off doing evil Fatui things so naturally, he had to bribe Lumine to take care of his little brother. Not that she wouldn’t do it for free because again, this was Teucer, angel incarnate, but still. She couldn’t let Childe know just how powerless she was against his little brother.
What if he had somehow managed to get Teucer to persuade her into joining the Fatui one day? The fact that she wasn’t quite sure if she would say no was already alarming enough as it is so she’s just going to keep that small tidbit to herself.
They parted ways with considerably less bloodshed than their previous separation, a fact Lumine had commented on just to see Childe’s strained smile as Teucer listened, confused. She had adored the younger boy and she definitely wasn’t going to be the one to shatter his world by ousting his brother, but she could at least enjoy tormenting Childe a little bit.
It was payback for all the hurt he’d caused her ever since that encounter in the Golden Palace.
Although, if she was being honest with herself, it probably would have hurt less if she had just listened to her gut instincts and considered him an enemy from the start but again, she wasn’t going to dwell on that. It would only lead to a truth she had tried hard to keep buried.
As Lumine, Paimon and Teucer roamed the streets of Liyue, she couldn’t help but wonder just how the adorable little boy that was currently exclaiming at everything in wonder, was related to the Delusion wielder. Their mannerisms were similar, but Teucer’s were genuine and Childe’s were faked to a certain extent. She couldn’t really tell. Or maybe she could but acknowledging that would lead to the aforementioned truth she didn’t want to uncover. So she pretended that she couldn’t, which led her back to square one.
How were they related?
After squinting her eyes a bit, she could see a bit of a resemblance, maybe, but also admitting to that fact would mean that she had indirectly called Childe adorable. Which was unacceptable. So as per her usual routine, she feigned ignorance.
There was no way she was going to acknowledge how… pleasant looking… he was. Not even under the pain of torture.
She was about to fall deeper into her denial when Teucer’s excited ramblings pulled her away from her treacherous thoughts, catching her attention.
“Do you think the granny can make a Mr. Cyclops kite?” He asked, eyes practically shining.
Suddenly in need of sunglasses, Lumine looked away and pretended (wow, she was on a roll today. Any more pretending and she could practically rival Childe) to think, before deciding to ask the kite seller regarding his request instead.
Of course, it was possible but it came at a more expensive price. Remembering Childe’s tendencies to let her pocket away any additional Mora she saved from her expenses (not that she needed the Mora but it was the perfect opportunity to waste some Fatui money), a tough round of haggling commenced.
By the end of it, she was sure she had made an enemy of the granny. At least, they were now proud owners of the only Ruin Guard kite in all of Teyvat. Considering that Teucer was the only person in the whole world who thought that Ruin Guards were cool, it wasn’t really that surprising.
Nothing was as surprising as finding out that Childe had lied to his brother about being a toy seller, just to preserve his innocence and keep his family far away from his darker side.
Every time she was reminded of that fact, something stirred in Lumine’s heart. Something that she had kept locked in the deepest, darkest corners of her heart.
It could possibly be hunger. Again, she was committed to the act of pretending not to know.
Following this train of thought, Lumine decided that it was time they ventured to Wanmin Restaurant. She actually was feeling a bit hungry and it was important for Teucer to taste the flavours of Liyue before he left. It would be a crime to deprive him of such heavenly culinary experience. She might as well join the Fatui!
She ignored the lurch in her heart at the thought of not having to fight a certain Harbinger if she had done so, repeatedly reminding herself that murder is wrong.
As Lumine was busy realigning her moral compass, Teucer listened in raptly as Chef Mao described the different dishes the restaurant offered. The excited look in his eyes dimmed as the chef went on, alarming her. When Teucer revealed that he couldn’t really handle spicy food, she let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.
Why was she acting this way all of a sudden? Could it be that she had wanted to make a good impression? With Childe’s little brother?
Surely it had everything to do with Teucer and nothing to do with his brother. Right. Yes.
Remembering the problem at hand, Lumine realised that measures had to be taken to ensure that her small companion ate something that he could actually stomach, even if the dish had to be customised. She hadn’t really factored in the fact that not many people could withstand the region’s spicy specialties. Therefore, another round of haggling (which she really wasn’t fond of doing), went down.
Do it for Teucer , she thought as she stared Chef Mao in the eyes, not backing down.
Teucer, ever the sweetheart, decided to help her in her bargaining journey and turned on the puppy eyes to its maximum capacity. Familiar ocean blue eyes widened as tears threatened to spill, making even her heart clench and she wasn’t even the recipient. She mentally sent a prayer for Chef Mao’s wellbeing, knowing that his resolve was being torn apart right that instant.
“Fine,” he grumbled out, reluctantly accepting the Mora she handed him.
She paused to think, wondering if she was setting a bad example for the kid. Surely with his adorable looks and charming personality, he would make a dangerous bargainer.
Kind of like Childe, in a sense. Minus the good looks and the charming personality. Which he really did not possess. None at all. Absolutely zero.
The dish arrived in record time, causing Lumine to abandon all thoughts and focus all of her energy into eating. With how expensive the dish ended up being despite the blatant emotional manipulation on their behalf, it would be a waste if they did not savor the taste of the dish.
Tummies full and kite in tow, Lumine brought Teucer to the last place of their impromptu Liyue Tour. A place that was specifically requested by the boy himself. It was none other than the Wharf.
She smiled as he marvelled at the scenery and the bustling crowd, running from one place to another as he soaked up the atmosphere. It was really, really heartwarming.
Was Childe this endearingly excitable when he was a kid?
She stilled as she caught herself thinking about a certain Harbinger in a remotely positive light. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Paimon eying her warily. Lumine merely shook her head, as if to say she was fine. Paimon didn’t look half-convinced but she decided to let it go for the time being. They were still on babysitting duty, anyway.
Speaking of babysitting.
“These fishes aren’t nearly as big as the fishes my brother catches for me!” Teucer exclaimed, lowkey almost getting into a fight with the fishmonger who just wanted to sell some fish.
“Really? Those fishes must be gigantic,” Lumine replied, choosing to not focus on the mental image of Childe doing something as mundane as fishing and not doing something more Fatui-like... such as extortion and the likes.
It made him seem human and not the merciless fighter she encountered at the Golden Palace.
She really should get over the fight. It wasn’t like she hadn’t expected the betrayal. She knew it was coming, and yet.
And yet, she chose to believe the good that she knew resided in his heart.
“They were! My brother’s the best! But… I don’t get to see him. I miss him a lot...” Teucer said, looking up at Lumine with teary eyes, breaking her heart in the process.
As much as she wanted to stay far away from Childe, his murdering tendencies and the conflicting emotions she felt whenever she was in his presence, she had made a pinky promise to Teucer that she would take care of him. That meant making him happy and reuniting him with his brother. She couldn’t possibly keep them apart any longer, personal feelings be damned.
She would simply just have to suck it up and face her problems.
“Okay, let’s get you to your brother.”
She took Teucer to Qingxu Pool, knowing that Childe would be there as she had overheard his rather unpleasant conversation with Ekaterina. She hoped that Childe wasn’t doing anything too shady. She didn’t really want to explain to his brother why he was beating up seemingly random civilians.
The sight that greeted her was a memory she would treasure for a long, long time.
Childe was walking menacingly, Fatui face on, when he caught sight of his little brother waving at him excitedly. The man had quite literally stopped in his tracks before donning on the fakest smile she had ever seen on him.
“600,000 Mora. For the toys. From Snezhnaya.”
She gleefully watched as Childe tried to extort money from the Treasure Hoarders as threateningly as he could with his baby brother watching, making an absolute fool of himself in the process. She couldn’t help but thank the Archons for letting her experience this.
Maybe Zhongli and Venti deserved some rights.
The Treasure Hoarders, of course, were having none of it. They unintentionally played with fire, insulting the youngest ever to join the Eleven Harbingers for his seemingly unrefined skills. They had him go through a test to see if he was fit for the task.
Of course, Childe excelled.
“After all, I’m the greatest toy seller in Snezhnaya!” He exclaimed, extremely pained.
Lumine had to try her hardest not to burst out into laughter right then and there.
Zhongli and Venti definitely deserved rights. She would go hunt for Anemoculuses and Geoculuses as soon as she could to offer to their statues.
On another note, it was… neat … to see how much he was willing to sacrifice just to protect Teucer’s innocence. It kind of reminded her of the time Aether desperately tried to shield her from discovering that Santa wasn’t real. She eventually found out when she saw one of the fake Santas’ beard fall off when he sneezed but she appreciated the sentiment.
When Teucer inevitably finds out about who Childe really was in a few years, Lumine was sure he would appreciate the sentiment as well.
I was right. There is some good left in his heart.
Surprised at the sudden thought, she tuned in to the conversation the two brothers were having, desperate for something to distract her.
“But… I haven’t even played with you the whole day,” Teucer complained, tears threatening to fall.
A sigh.
“I know, Teucer, but I’m really busy. I’ll try to write back as often as I can. How’s that sound? Don’t you like spending time with the nice lady over there?” Childe pleaded, exhaustion seeping into his tone.
Lumine couldn’t bring herself to listen in anymore, distraction be damned. She knew how Teucer felt, desperately wanting to spend time with his brother after months of being apart. But, she could understand how Childe felt as well.
It must have been taxing to keep up with the facade, trying to please both sides. On one hand, he had to play the role of the intimidating Harbinger who never knew the meaning of mercy. On the other, he had to be the big brother who worked hard to bring smiles to peoples’ faces and spreading joy through his toys. The two roles were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
If he’d only told Teucer the truth, he wouldn’t have been struggling now. Childe may be an evil Harbinger seeking to destroy nations, but he was a good brother. There was no doubt about that.
How many things that he had to do as a Harbinger, were his own freewill? Why did he become a Harbinger when he’s so ashamed of it, especially in front of his family?
She was so lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed Teucer’s disappearance until Paimon had alerted her. She panicked, not wanting Childe, or anyone else, to be subjected to the pain of losing their sibling.
In her haste, she was about to dart off to wherever her feet would take her. Had it not been for Paimon’s surprisingly sound logic, suggesting that Teucer may have followed his brother to the Fatui agents initiation ceremony he was in charge of, she would have ran off to Archons knew where.
She really shouldn’t be making it so personal. Was it because familial ties struck a chord within her or was it because it was Childe’s familial ties?
Perhaps it was a combination of both.
As luck would have it, Teucer was indeed at the place his brother was working. Lumine watched as he intently listened to his brother’s speech, looking awed and inspired. She had a half a mind to grab Childe’s attention to let him know that his brother was there but alas, she didn’t need to. He had already spotted them.
Feeling a tiny bit sympathetic at the sudden and poor change in topics (her recent revelation sapping the last of her amusement away, no matter how funny it was to see Childe refer to himself as the sales manager of the Liyue branch), she tried persuading Teucer to wait for his brother at Northland Bank. However, it seemed as if her concern was not needed as Childe took it all in stride, proposing for a duel in the spirit of the Liyue sales branch, team bonding experience or something.
She knew who was going to win. Even though it was eight-on-one, it was no surprise that Childe emerged victorious. Her battle with the other was still fresh in her mind, after all.
Teucer cheered as his brother defeated the last agent, practically begging Childe to teach him how to fight because it was super cool. The older merely laughed before asking a question that had even her thinking.
“Why do you want to fight?” He asked.
Why was she fighting? Wasn’t her main goal to find Aether and leave Teyvat as soon as possible? Why was she going up against Abyss mages and the Fatui? Why was she encroaching on Hilichurl camps and beating the shit out of them?
“To… protect Tonia! And the others!” Teucer answered, enthusiastic.
Childe laughed, genuine, before saying that it was the same reason he was fighting. That meant that he became a Harbinger to protect his family. But from what? Their own Archon?
The more time she spent with the brothers, the less she knew of them. The less she knew of Teyvat. The less she knew of herself.
Venti, in his Barbatos form, had said something about enjoying the journey. That the destination shouldn’t be the only thing in mind when venturing. Was that what he meant? She shouldn’t be too focused on reaching Aether but perhaps, to make and cherish her connections along the way? Even if her connection was a Fatui Harbinger?
“Can you please show me around your workplace? I promise I’ll go back home after that,” Teucer pleaded, bringing back the puppy eyes that had brought the Wanmin Restaurant chef to his knees.
Childe laughed once again, as if there weren’t matters as pressing as the fact that his workplace wasn’t really toy-related .
“Who taught you how to bargain?” He chose to focus on instead, making Lumine feel a tiny bit guilty at the fact that she may have contributed to that particular habit.
Teucer beamed as Childe ruffled his hair, agreeing anyway. He picked his brother up, chatting with him animatedly as they made their way to wherever Childe was bringing them.
To that, Lumine concluded that, yes, she supposed she could make an exception for this Harbinger.
Heart feeling considerably lighter (probably due to the burden of pretending being lifted off of her), Lumined followed the pair to Liyue’s Institute for Toy Research, which turned out to be an abandoned research facility for Ruin Guards .
She had worriedly pointed out the fact that multiple things could go wrong and that they should probably rethink their (since when had she considered them to be a team?) course of action, but Childe had assured her that he would take care of it, as older brothers should. However, the moment he uttered those words, Teucer had ran off into the facility and the doors slammed shut.
It was unnerving to witness Childe panic, an emotion so raw there was no way he could conceal it. He ran to the other entrance, defeating every single opponent on his way without a sweat.
They had to deal with a few slimes and some puzzles but overall, it wasn’t as dangerous as she had initially thought. That was, until they were finally reunited in the main operations room which was filled to the brim with Ruin Guards that were ready to activate at any time.
There was no way they were going to destroy the image of Mr. Cyclops in Teucer’s mind. They had no choice but to defeat them all.
As to not arouse suspicion, Childe had proposed a game of hide-and-seek where Teucer became the seeker. The boy would close his eyes and count to sixty, while they tried their best to take down every single Ruin Guard.
In the sixty seconds it took for the younger to count down, Childe had managed to single-handedly defeat at least four Ruin Guards, with Lumine contributing a measly one to their kill count. She would be in awe, really, if she wasn’t too busy panicking over the fact that an additional three Ruin Guards had been deployed in a cruel twist of fate.
Childe laughed sadly, before kindly asking Teucer if he could extend the countdown for another ten seconds. The boy had complained, but complied nonetheless.
Lumine simply stared in disbelief, worry churning in her stomach.
Logically speaking, there was simply no time. Teucer was going to turn around any second now and he would realise that Mr. Cyclops was a killing machine and that his brother wasn’t the toy seller he claimed to be.
That was what she thought, until Childe had quite literally risked his life and used his Foul Legacy Transformation once more, just to protect his little brother’s dreams.
When the ten seconds were up, the Ruin Guards had been defeated and Childe was nowhere to be found. It didn’t matter the first few seconds, with Teucer being excited at the prospect of being surrounded by Mr. Cyclopses, but after realising his brother wasn’t there, his good mood quickly dissipated.
“It’s a game of hide-and-seek, right? He’s obviously hiding somewhere!” Paimon bluffed, not wanting to be the one to break the news that his brother had probably ditched him.
Choosing to believe that Childe wouldn’t do that to Teucer, not after the lengths he had taken throughout this whole trip, Lumine searched every nook and cranny, before coming across an isolated corner.
There, looking as if he was minutes away from death, was Childe.
Kaeya had once told her about the effects of using Delusions, and how it had finished off Diluc’s father. She knew that the Harbinger in front of her was extremely lucky to have escaped with his life, although he looked thoroughly beat.
“Please don’t let him see me like this,” He begged, exhausted.
Lumine stared, sadness creeping into her heart as she took in the unusual sight of the battered up Harbinger.
Why did he go to such lengths? If he really was as merciless as he claimed, why was he slumped across the wall, struggling to even draw breath?
“Childhood dreams are too easily shattered. Even if you just leave them be, they'll fall to pieces all by themselves. So someone has to protect them, right?”
She could feel her resolve weaken.
“If you make a promise, you keep it. If you make a mistake, you apologise. If you give someone a dream, you defend it to the end. That’s what family’s all about, isn’t it?”
Memories of long blonde hair similar to hers and a warm smile came to mind, reminding Lumine of the brother who she had vowed to find, no matter the cost.
“Quit it with the tough guy act, already. You need to go see a doctor!” Paimon piped up, voicing out what Lumine had been so afraid to voice even in the privacy of her own mind.
“A fine suggestion, but first… I have a little something for Teucer. Please give it to him on my behalf. And, if it isn’t too much, please explain my abrupt departure to him,” He handed her a miniature Ruin Guard action figure, custom-made by a smith a few weeks prior.
“What makes you think I won’t finish you off here instead?” She asked as she accepted the toy, knowing full well that nothing would be able to convince her to do so in the first place.
It seemed as if Childe was aware of that fact, too. He merely smiled before looking up at her, vulnerable.
“It’s because it’s you.”
She shakily exhaled, suddenly feeling as winded as Childe looked. She closed her eyes, needing a second to reel in all the emotions she had buried the past few months but to no avail. She opened her eyes a while later, accidentally making eye contact with the ocean blue eyes that were tinged with something that made her heart clench.
“Fine. Only if you do as Paimon suggested and get yourself checked over by a proper doctor,” She relented, noticing the way Childe’s eyes widened at her rare show of concern.
“If only I knew the secret for getting you to care was to almost die in battle,” He said, chuckling weakly.
Lumine merely rolled her eyes good-naturedly, her heart beating a mile a minute. He stood up, thanking her once again before seeing himself out.
Watching as the sight of his back get smaller and smaller, she took a deep breath, knowing that what she had to do next was no easy feat. She walked over to Teucer, miniature Mr. Cyclops in hand, before breaking the news to him.
“Your brother had to leave early due to a work emergency but he left you with this,” She gently said as she handed him the Ruin Guard toy.
Teucer was still understandably sad over his brother’s disappearance, but the miniature Mr. Cyclops in his possession seemed to work wonders.
“My brother’s the best big brother in the world!” He exclaimed, hugging the toy close to his chest.
Lumine warmly smiled, before taking the boy’s hand in hers and guiding them back to Northland Bank.
As the Fatui employee explained that Childe had appointed him to be his guide back, she couldn’t help but feel sad that Teucer didn’t get a proper send off. He did travel all the way to Liyue just to see his brother. There was nothing as unsatisfying as an abrupt departure with no room for goodbye, no room for closure.
“He told me not to run off with strangers but he ended up leaving me in the care of one,” Teucer complained.
“We’re strangers but you stuck with us the whole day,” Lumine pointed out, amused.
“That’s because I already know who you are. Brother told us all about you in a letter he wrote! Sister Tonia read it out for me,” The boy explained proudly.
To that, Lumine had no responses. She just stared at the boy as he told her that he recognised her from the start, he just couldn’t remember her name.
That meant that Childe had described her in detail, in a way that made her recognisable. To his family, no less!
A sneeze was heard from the corner of the room.
“Did he say anything bad about me?” She couldn’t help but ask.
Surely Childe wouldn’t have, right? If his precious little brother was so willing to trust her ever since the start was any indication.
“Not at all. In fact, he said that if he ever had the chance, he’d quit his job and join you on your adventures!” The boy beamed, reminding Lumine that she had yet to get herself some sunglasses.
Oh.
“That’s… great.”
Really, of all the things she could reply, that was what she came up with?
Well, at least it didn’t come out as a garble of indecipherable words or something as embarrassing as that. Given the combined effect of her internal screaming, rapidly beating heart and the fluttering of multiple butterflies in her stomach, it was… an acceptable response. She considered it a win.
Nevertheless, she was lucky enough that Childe wasn’t there to listen to her… less than ideal response.
Teucer paid it no mind, though. Instead, he had managed to make Lumine pinky promise she was going to go to Snezhnaya to visit him.
Considering that almost all of the Fatui agents in that nation wanted her dead, she probably shouldn’t. But this was Teucer. As mentioned several times before, she would lay down her life for him. It was a no-brainer really.
As soon as they completed their pinky promise ritual and Teucer left with Childe’s subordinate, the man himself made a grand appearance… from the corner of the room she had heard the sneeze coming from.
Meaning that he had been there the whole time.
Oh no.
“Hey.” He called out.
“Childe? If you were here all along, why didn’t you come say goodbye?” Paimon asked, perplexed.
Lumine found herself agreeing with the sentiment.
“Partings are a special moment. If he spent his final moments in Liyue seeing me all haggard and weak like this… That’s not a memory I want him to leave with. Still, it’s a shame I couldn’t see him off by myself.” He explained, voice growing sadder at the end of the sentence.
“I should have been the one taking him back. I do have subordinates to escort him, but I still feel a little uneasy,” Childe voiced out, eyebrows furrowing in worry.
“For some reason, I felt much more at ease leaving him in your care. And to think that not long ago, we....” He trailed off, eyes suddenly no longer meeting hers.
Were at each other’s throats , was left unspoken.
Her heart ached at the reminder of cold, uncaring eyes and even colder words. Gone were the traces of the man who had once saved her from the Milelith, who laughed to his heart’s content at the incident now dubbed as the Cocogoat Ordeal.
But, as she stood before him, taking in his rather beat up appearance and the way he glared at the ground as if engaged in a mental battle with himself, she couldn’t help but let the hope that died the day their swords clashed, reignite.
It was silent for a few seconds. Childe, seemingly done with whatever inner debate he was engaged in, looked up at her. Ocean blue eyes met golden once again, reminding her of that one fateful afternoon.
“Speaking of battles, regardless of who wins or loses the next bout, I’d also like to invite you over to my home. I’ll introduce you to my other siblings, Tonia and Anthon. They’re great kids and I’m very proud of them both.”
Right. Their much anticipated rematch and an invitation to his home.
Wait.
An invitation to his home? To meet his family?
“I’ve already planned on visiting because I made a pinky promise with Teucer.” She managed to get out, somehow sounding more composed and collected than she actually was.
Internally, she was once again screaming.
Childe let out a laugh, different from the ones she heard during their battle in the Golden Palace, different from the ones he gave her even before that.
It sounded real, genuine, beautiful.
“I can’t believe my baby brother managed to steal your heart before me. Seems like I have a lot to learn from him,” He winked.
And the cheerful, flirty facade was back - but not completely. It didn’t feel as fake.
“Yeah, whatever.”
She turned towards the door, ready to exit both the conversation and the premises, when Childe opened his mouth.
“Out of pure curiosity and nothing else, do you know of any adepti that might have a crush on you?”
What the hell?
Shocked by the weird question, Lumine did a full 180, properly catching Childe off guard with how fast she turned and how surprised she looked.
“Why would you even ask me that?” She countered, visibly confused.
Childe shrugged his shoulders as if to appear nonchalant but Lumine could see the tension in his body.
Unconvinced by the response, she decided to answer his question anyway - not that it mattered. It wasn’t as if anything bad was going to happen if she happened to give her opinion on things.
“Considering that one’s an old lady, one’s more interested in Mora, one’s too comfortable to even leave Wangshu Inn and the others are animals, I don’t think any of them do.” She answered.
Somehow, she could see the gears turning in Childe’s head.
“Is the one in Wangshu Inn a relatively young and healthy guy?”
For some reason, he sounded as if he was on the verge of discovering the answer to one of life’s greatest mysteries. Lumine was, quite frankly, way too weirded out by the turn of events to even begin contemplating the ridiculousness of the situation.
“Yes.”
The sound that Childe made sounded similar to the whale he called upon back in the Golden Palace, before it hit Lumine square in the chest and almost took half her life.
Interesting.
Deciding that she had no more energy left to spare with all the babysitting, mini-existential crisis and just good old denying her feelings, she bid him a goodbye before leaving the Harbinger to… whatever he was doing.
If she replayed the scene where Teucer had told her that Childe would quit being a Harbinger if he could, and join her on her adventures, no one had to know about that.
There seemed to be more to Childe than meets the eye and despite everything, Lumine found herself looking forward to uncovering every single layer.
Not because she liked him or any-
Alright, fine. It’s because she liked him. There, she said it.